John O'Connor was born in Clifden, County Galway, Ireland, probably in 1892, the son of Mark and Bridget O’Connor (née Mannion). His father was a blacksmith, and John was one of five children, although by 1911, only John and two of his siblings were still alive. Although no official record of his birth can be established, he was baptized into the Catholic Church on the 31st January 1892, and it was customary for infants to be baptized within days of their birth at that time
By 1911, the family home was at Bridge Street, Clifden, County Galway, Ireland.
He was a labourer, and he had immigrated to New York City, in the United States of America sometime after 1911 to make a better life for himself. In April 1914, his father died, and his mother requested him to return to Clifden to take over his late father’s farrier and blacksmith business.
As a result, in the spring of 1915, he booked third class passage for himself on the May Day sailing of the Lusitania and boarded her at Pier 54 in New York before she sailed out into the North River for the last time, on 1st May 1915.
Just six days later, with the liner off the coast of southern Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination, he was killed after she was torpedoed and sunk and as no trace of his body was ever found and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 23 years.
In the summer of 1915, his mother, Bridget, applied for financial assistance to The Lusitania Relief Fund, which had been set up after the disaster by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other worthy dignitaries to help second and third class passenger survivors and the relatives of those who had perished, who had come upon hard times as a result of the sinking. It was thought that saloon class passengers were wealthy enough not to need help and each claim was met on its merits.
On 11th June, the awards committee granted her the immediate sum of £2-0s-0d. and thereafter from 17th August, £0-5s-0d., (£0.25p.), per week for a period of sixth months, after which the claim was to be re-considered.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1911 Census of Ireland, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/59, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.